Bruce E. Haynam (February 26, 1931 – February 22, 2015) was an American

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...

player. He was the captain of the 1952

Michigan Wolverines baseball The Michigan Wolverines baseball team represents the University of Michigan in NCAA Division I college baseball. Along with most other Michigan athletic teams, the baseball team participates in the Big Ten Conference. They play their home games ...

team. In 1953, he helped lead the team to the school's first

College World Series The College World Series (CWS), officially the NCAA Men's College World Series (MCWS), is an annual baseball tournament held in June in Omaha, Nebraska. The MCWS is the culmination of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Divisi ...

championship and was the only player on the team to be selected as a first-team All-American. He was inducted in the

University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor The University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor, founded in 1978, recognizes University of Michigan athletes, coaches, and administrators who have made significant contributions to the university's athletic programs.

in 1988.

Early years

Haynam was raised in

Cleveland Heights, Ohio Cleveland Heights is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States, and one of Cleveland's historical streetcar suburbs. The city's population was 45,312 at the 2020 census. As of the 2010 census, Cleveland Heights was ranked the 8th larges ...

and attended University High School. He was a star baseball player in high school, playing as a second baseman.

University of Michigan

After graduating from high school, Haynam enrolled at the

University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

in 1950 as a student in the School of Engineering. While attending Michigan, Haynam played baseball for the

team from 1951 to 1953. He was the captain of the 1952 team. He broke a

Big Ten Conference The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference) is the oldest Division I collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representati ...

record in 1952 by hitting five sacrifices. In 1953, Haynam was the starting shortstop for the 1953 Michigan baseball team that won the

for the first time in the school's history. Michigan's 1953 infield consisting of Haynam,

Don Eaddy Donald Johnson Eaddy (February 16, 1934 – July 9, 2008) was an American baseball, football, and basketball player. He played Major League Baseball for the Chicago Cubs in 1959. He played college baseball, football, and basketball at the Unive ...

Bill Mogk William C. Mogk (November 7, 1931 – April 17, 2021) was an American baseball player. He was the captain of the 1953 Michigan Wolverines baseball team that won the school's first College World Series championship. He was inducted in the Univers ...

, and Gil Sabuco was sometimes referred to as the "million-dollar infield." At the end of the season, Haynam was selected by the

American Baseball Coaches Association The American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) is the world's largest amateur baseball coaching organization. It was founded in 1945 as the American Association of College Baseball Coaches. Now, the ABCA is composed of over 13,000 baseball coac ...

as the

shortstop Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball or softball fielding position between second and third base, which is considered to be among the most demanding defensive positions. Historically the position was assigned to defensive specialists who ...

on the 1953 College Baseball All-America Team He was the first Michigan player to be selected as an All-American. While attending Michigan, Haynam was a member of Michigamua (the all campus senior honorary society),

Phi Gamma Delta Phi Gamma Delta (), commonly known as Fiji, is a social fraternity with more than 144 active chapters and 10 colonies across the United States and Canada. It was founded at Jefferson College, Pennsylvania, in 1848. Along with Phi Kappa Psi, Phi ...

fraternity and the Vulcans (the Engineering School's senior honorary society). He graduated from Michigan in 1954 with a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering. In October 1956, longtime Michigan baseball coach Ray Fisher named Haynam as the shortstop on his all-time Michigan baseball team. Haynam was inducted in the

in 1988. He joined

Bill Freehan William Ashley Freehan (November 29, 1941 – August 19, 2021) was an American catcher in Major League Baseball who played his entire 15-year career with the Detroit Tigers. The premier catcher in the American League for several years from the 19 ...

(inducted 1979),

George Sisler George Harold Sisler (March 24, 1893 – March 26, 1973), nicknamed "Gorgeous George", was an American professional baseball first baseman and player-manager. From 1915 through 1930, he played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Br ...

(inducted 1979), Buck Giles (inducted 1980),

Bud Chamberlain Benjamin Francis "Bud" Chamberlain (May 24, 1920 – August 24, 2012) was an American baseball player and realtor. He played baseball for the University of Michigan from 1939 to 1942. He led the Wolverines to consecutive Big Ten Conference base ...

(inducted 1982), and

Dick Wakefield Richard Cummings Wakefield (May 6, 1921 – August 25, 1985) was a left fielder in Major League Baseball for 9 seasons with the Detroit Tigers (1941, 1943–1944, 1946–1949), New York Yankees (1950), and New York Giants (1952). Wakefield was ...

(inducted 1983), as Michigan baseball players in the Hall of Honor. Bill Mogk, Haynam's partner in the 1953 "million dollar infield," was inducted in 2002.

Later years

After graduating from Michigan, Haynam opted not to pursue a career in professional baseball. Instead, he returned to Ohio to commence his professional career as an engineer. Haynam married Barbara White. They had three children: Maribeth, Anne, and Leigh. Haynam served for a time as a member of the Kinsman Township Zoning Board of Appeals, but resigned the position in order to fulfill his business responsibilities.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Haynam, Bruce 1931 births 2015 deaths All-American college baseball players Michigan Wolverines baseball players Place of birth missing People from Cleveland Heights, Ohio Baseball players from Cuyahoga County, Ohio People from Kinsman, Ohio Businesspeople from Ohio 20th-century American businesspeople

Early years

University of Michigan

Later years

See also

References